New Hearts
by kinosuki
Summary: When Naruto dies and Sasuke runs off what will Sakura do? she assembles her team to find Sasuke but when she takes Neji along with her what will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Gone

Sakura Haruno was crying... Over Naruto's dead body... She was crying so hard her eyes were burning...

"Why?" She was talking to no one and no one would reply... Sasuke was gone...Naruto was dead... No, Sasuke had killed him... She stood up... she fell back down... She could no longer walk, Sasuke had teamed up with Akatsuki after he had killed his brother. They were after the 9 tails, and they got it... Sakura only arrived at the Akatsuki base after they had extracted the Kyuubi from Naruto... And now he was gone...Forever...

"Sakura?" Sakura turned her head around to see Kakashi, her previous mentor... Also Naruto's... And Sasuke's... "What's the Situation?" Sakura's eyes started to burn again. But to cry in front of her mentor... That would be crazy... She coughed.

"Akatsuki extracted the Kyuubi from Naruto, and he's..." Her head turned back to the still figure lying on the floor. Kakashi finished the sentence for her

"Dead."... Sakura Nodded.

Sakura headed back to Konoha with Kakashi who had been fighting Kisame so Sakura had gone on ahead to find Naruto.

"Kakashi-san, why was Naruto still alive after Akatsuki had extracted the Kyuubi. If it was anything like the other cases he should have died as soon as it was extracted. So why did Sasuke?..."

"Naruto's case is a strange one... It's like you said, he should have passed away as soon as the Kyuubi was removed from him. But the Kyuubi seemed like the strongest of the tailed beasts, it always has. So maybe some of the Kyuubi's chakra remained in Naruto, it's just a theory but maybe we should check in to it." Sakura's eyes followed her feet, she couldn't bring herself to look up at her old teacher. Sakura only had one thing, One word that she could get out of her mouth...

"No..."

"Huh?"

"No..."

"Sakura you do realize that you don't have a choice, it's your job as a kunoichi to do this. It's like an ordinary mission, your one of the smartest chuunin that Konoha has."

"I won't do it... Ask someone else..."

"Sakura!" Kakashi's face was stern. Sakura didn't care. She wasn't going to let him take her pride away from her. Her eyes rose from her feet and she looked Kakashi in the eyes.

"Kakashi. I can't do it because I am going to find Sasuke and avenge Naruto." Kakashi let out a sigh.

"I knew this was coming" Kakashi turned his head away from her and looked ahead of him. "Sakura you and Naruto have been going on a wild goose chase up until now. You should know, Sasuke isn't coming back. He has chosen his path. You must also choose yours." Kakashi Turned to face Sakura. "You could be a great ninja" Sakura wasn't having any of it, she was tired of listening to his crap.

"Kakashi, I'm going after Sasuke. When we get back I'm finding a new group of chuunin and taking them with me for this mission. And there will be a mission. You can't say anything to stop me." Kakashi let out another sigh, Sakura had won, He wouldn't argue any more.

Sakura and Kakashi arrived back at Konoha 2 days later. When they arrived Sakura went straight to Tsunade to ask her for permission to do her desired mission.

"Tsunade-Sama, the mission to bring Naruto back...It failed..." Tsunade asked Shizune to leave and get her a glass of water.

"What happened?" Sakura's eyes fell to the floor "I'm not asking for the details, I'm asking where Sasuke and Naruto are!"

"Naruto Is dead. Sasuke killed him." Silence filled the room and was only broken when Shizune walked in, closely followed by Kakashi. He was the first one to talk

"Tsunade-Sama, Sakura has a request" Sakura was shocked, she knew Kakashi wasn't happy about the idea of his one remaining pupil going to fight Sasuke, It was practically a suicide mission. They both knew that. And yet here he was, egging her on to tell Tsunade what she wanted.

"Tsunade-Sama, I have a mission request." Tsunade looked bewildered. "I want to go after Sasuke. May I go?"

"Sakura, we all know very well that Sasuke wont come back to the village. He's a rogue Ninja now. He betrayed his village."

"I'm not going with any intention of bringing Sasuke back." Tsunade bit her lip, what choice did she have? Sakura was one of the if not the best chuunin medical ninjas that Konoha had... And now she was going, and possibly not coming back. Sakura read Tsunade like a book.

"Tsunade-Sama, you know that death is inevitable. It's how a ninja life goes. Many people before me have died in battle. I'd rather die standing. Than live in a world of grief on my knees. So please. Let me assemble a team and go after Sasuke."

"Very well...Please...Try and come back alive though. Preferably with all of your team mates too."

"Yes, Tsunade-Sama." Sakura gave a bow and left Tsunades office. Tsunade waved Sakura away and looked towards Kakashi.

"kakashi, you do realize that no pupil is going to want you as a mentor ever again..." Kakashi gave a small smile and a bow to Konoha's leader and left out of the window off to another mission.

Sakura shut the door to her office, possiblly for the last time, if she wasn't surrounded with uncertainty and worry then she would have jumped in the air and screamed "yes!" but she just couldn't bring herself to do it...

She wanted to leave as soon as she could, so she would just find whoever she could and leave at sunrise.

That night she was in her apartment getting ready. She had found her team. Neji, Hinata, Kiba and Shikamaru. When she heard a knock at the door. She stood up, who would be calling at her house at this time of night.

"Who's there?"

"Sakura. It's Ino. Let me in!" Sakura opened the door as soon as Ino had started talking. "I'm coming with you!" Ino looked all though she was about to cry.

"Ino... Are you sure?" Ino nodded and let herself in to Sakura's apartment. "Sakura, I hate Sasuke for what he did more than you know...He left, and now this...I've also lost someone close to me, My teacher Asuma died 3 months ago remember?" Sakura couldn't speak. She took a step forward and hugged Ino. The girl who she had hated for years, all she could do was hug her...

"Thank you, Ino" Ino smiled.

"You don't really think I'd let you go and see Sasuke without me did you"

"it'll be dangerous" Sakura looked very worried.

"You think I don't know that! Come on lighten up!" So Ino joined Sakura's team on the mission to... Kill...Sasuke.

**A.N. This is from my old account that i lost the password for, i've only made a few minor changes to how it was. Hope you like it :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – A New beginning

The time was 5:30am, the sun had just started to rise. Sakura was more ready than she would ever be for this mission. Her other team mates; Neji, Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru and Ino were there already when she arrived.

"Good your all here. your all coming back as well, I'm in charge of this mission and I am going to ensure your safety for the whole of this mission, so, if anyone is unlikely to come back alive, it will be me..." Sakura's head dropped, Ino and Kiba did the same, "are you all ready?" They all replied simultaneously

"Yes!" Sakura took one look back at the village that had always known had been her home, unsure of whether she would come back... But that didn't matter now! Naruto had died and now Sakura needed revenge! Her and her team left there home village, Konoha.

It was 7am now and the sun was almost fully in the sky. Team Sakura was resting while Neji and Hinata tried to find clues with the Byakugan, at the same time Kiba was trying to catch the scent of Sasuke or anyone that would lead them to him. Sakura, Ino and Shikamaru we're trying to think of an attack plan.

"Sakura, when we see him I will use my shadow possession jutsu, Ino you use your mind, body confusion technique if he tries to break free of my jutsu or I dare to say breaks free successfully. Sakura, after me or Ino has him in out jutsu then you should make you move while ou-"

"I have his scent!"

"Kiba?, Are you sure?" Sakura jumped up as soon as the words had left his mouth.

"There's no doubt about it. We were pursuing Sasuke on the mission 4 years ago. The one that Shikamaru was in charge of, I never forget a scent after I've been following it for more than a day or two. It's him" Sakura and Ino went over to Kiba and Akamaru.

"What direction do you smell him in?" Kiba sniffed around the area.

"North-east" Sakura turned to look at Neji

"Neji, Hinata look in the direction that Kiba just Said" Neji and Hinata nodded and both looked in the direction that Kiba had told them. Hinata spotted it first. She sighed and "Turned off" her Byakugan.

"It's not him. Someone has his Jacket and is trying to lead us of coarse...They must have heard about our mission from somewhere..." Sakura looked like she was about to cry.

"Neji?"

"There's no doubt about it. It's not him. It's a Woman, she has long red hair and looks nothing like Sasuke. She just has his Jacket, Like Hinata said." Sakura's face dropped.

"Karin?..." Ino looked at her Best friend.

"who?"

"A bitch that would do anything to get Sasuke to go out with her! The whore probably heard about our mission from a spy and now is sacrificing herself to save her 'boyfriend'. Well if she's willing to do that for him then what do you guys think of pursuing her and getting information of Sasuke's whereabouts" The pink haired kunoichi had an evil glint in her eye, she was sure to torture this bitch who had helped to kill Naruto. Kiba was the only one to argue with Sakura's judgement.

"Sakura, wouldn't it be quicker to-" Ino interupted Kiba almost as soon as he began to talk

"If we can get information from her then it wont have been a waste of time." Sakura flashed Ino a quick smile. Clearly Ino was just as Interested in beating up Karin as Sakura was. She too had liked Sasuke at one point.

"So what do you say? We pursue her?" Everyone nodded to say that they agreed with her idea. So, they headed north-east.

It wasn't hard to track her, she wasn't too fast as she had acquired a leg injury during a fight with Sakura when she was on her way to save Naruto. The failed mission. But she had managed to get past Karin, why hadn't she just killed her then and there?

Shikamaru gave the nod to begin the plan that he had created while they were chasing her. Ino got Karin in her sights and used her jutsu.

"Mind, body confusion Technique! Huh?" Karin disappeared!

"This is imposable I can't smell her any more!" Sakura knew this move, she recognised it from the previous fight that she had with Karin, This was just a disappearing act. Sakura closed her eyes and said nothing.

"There!" Sakura pointed up to a tree. Shikamaru reacted instantly. He caught her in his shadow bind technique.

"This is her technique...She can trap everyone around her in a genjutsu, while in this genjutsu, she makes it look like she's invisible when in reality she could be standing right in front of you and you wouldn't be able to sense her." Sakura headed in the direction of the red head and was ready to get some answers.

It was 4 long hours later when Sakura and Neji finally managed to get any information from her she was not in Shikamaru's Shadow Bind Technique any more they had tied her to a tree after they had been torturing her for 20 minutes and Shikamaru couldn't hold his jutsu any more. Team Sakura had found out that Sasuke was working with Akatsuki and he was on his was to Suna, there he would be meeting with a Suna spy who had been undercover helping Akatsuki extract the 1 tail from Gaara. He was now working for Akatsuki again and this time they we're targeting Temari who had valuable information for the 7 tails whereabouts. Then Neji finished Karin off. They would be heading to Suna first thing in the morning.

The chase and battle with Karin had exhausted them all So for now they would rest after the first 2 hours of torturing Karin Hinata, who had returned to Konoha only the day before the mission started. fell asleep on Kiba's shoulder. It was not long after that, that Kiba also fell asleep. Ino had Shikamaru's Jacket on as she was too excited about this mission that she forgot to bring her jacket, and was wearing nothing but her regular mini skirt and crop top, she was leaning on a nearby tree talking to Shikamaru.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

"Neji? Yeah. I'm just a little tired" She yawned.

"Go and sleep, I'll take the first watch duty." Sakura could tell from the dark circles under his eyes that he was just as tired as she was...

"Are you sure?"

"As if I'd stop a woman getting her beauty sleep. Ne? Shikamaru. And besides Shikamaru isn't going to sleep yet" Shikamaru laughed and nodded.

"You should see Ino after me and Chouji have both done our watch duty. She starts crying if you wake her up!" Ino gave Shikamaru a stern look but at the same time it was blatantly obvious that she wanted to laugh.

"Thanks, Neji" Sakura gave him a warm smile and bid him goodnight.

**A.N. So this is chapter 2, please review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Attack

Sakura woke up late the next morning, 9 o'clock? 10 o'clock she wasn't sure.

"morning." the calm and seductive voice rang in her ears.

"Neji? What time is it? You didn't wake me up for watch duty." Sakura sat up in her sleeping bag.

"I think it's about 11am, I would have woke you up but the idea of making you wake up after hearing how Ino reacts put me off a little." Sakura was a little annoyed, but she giggled anyway. "besides Kiba took over for me."

Sakura was standing up now. Her green eyes drifted around the camp to search for Kiba, but there was no sign of him.

"Where is Kiba?" She looked back at Neji

"He's gone to collect some water for him and Hinata. Here." Neji handed Sakura her flask which prior to this morning was empty, but now she could tell from the weight of it that it was completely full.

"you did this?"

"yup" Neji looked up at her and smiled, His smile was warm, it made her feel...happy...she didn't think it possible for her too feel even a glint of hope since Naruto died...But here she was... Smiling on the inside and on the outside thanks to the kindness which she could see in Neji's smile.

Kiba ran up the steep slope to the camp. He was panting and Akamaru was running next to him.

"Guys! We have to get out of here now!" The whole team looked at him, Shikamaru had been asleep but as soon as he heard Kiba yelling he jumped up instantly.

"Kiba! What the hell happened!" Shikamaru helped Ino up and ran over to Kiba.

"I smelt someone. No. I smelt someone covered in blood. I sensed that they had a killers instinct! I'll tell you about it when we're safe, but now we have to move! Pack up your stuff!" He threw Hinata her water container and grabbed his sleeping bag. Neji helped pack all of Sakura's things in to her bag. He of course was packed by dawn.

She ran. He ran. They ran together. The cold wind was biting against her skin like needles, it was so painful, it was winter what else could she expect.

Sakura yelled the orders.

"Kiba see if you can still smell them! Hinata see if you can see them! Neji keep looking forward check to see if there are any enemy's in front of us!" She wasn't going to let anyone get hurt! No matter what happened to her she would protect them!

Hinata ran up to keep level with Sakura too tell her what she knew.

"The enemy is slowing down! I think they are going to try and find a different direction and cut us off!"

"Neji? Is there anyone in front?" Neji shook his head, Sakura sighed in relief. She spoke too soon...

"There coming!"

Two ninjas attacked. One from the left, one from the right. A third sped towards them from the front.

Sakura knew what she had too do. She sped forwards towards the on-coming ninja and built up her chakra in her hand. She was ready to punch. The ninja saw her intentions, but it was too late for him to stop. She hit him square in the gut. He fell to the floor.

She looked behind her too see if the others were aright with the other two ninja, Kiba and Shikamaru were attacking one with there jutsu and Neji and Hinata were dealing with the other one, Where was Ino?

"Sakura look out!" too late. The ninja who she had punched had got back up and was standing behind her, his kunai was at her throat.

"Shit!" Sakura closed her eyes and prepared to die.

"I don't think so ass hole!" Ino was standing behind the ninja with the kunai to Sakura's throat. The ninja turned around. Ino looked him directly in the eye and did the strangest thing... she smiled... Ino got her hands in her position for her jutsu.

"Shinten shi no jutsu!" Ino fell to the floor and the kunai came away from Sakura's throat.

"Ino!" Shikamaru saw Ino's falling body and caught it as it was falling from the tree it was resting on.

The ninja which Ino had taken over was controlled and made to somewhere where he would be easy too attack. Ino released her jutsu. Sakura made her way over to the cowering ninja.

"prepare to die jerk" She gave him the finishing blow and made her way back to her team mates. Everyone was okay; Kiba had a few scratches, but nothing serious, Shikamaru had a cut on his cheek and Ino had a deep cut on her arm where she fell on a sharp rock, it was a little too late for shikamaru to catch her. But as she had expected, both Hyuuga children were uninjured.

Sakura got too work on healing the wounds which people had got. Ino helped cure Kiba's scratches after Sakura had healed her arm, and Sakura went on to heal Shikamaru's cheek.

"Why do you think they were attacking us?" Sakura sat next to Neji and drank the remainder of her water.

"Don't know, maybe they were friends of Karin and wanted revenge" All of the chunin were sitting around a camp fire which Ino and Shikamaru made. After making the fire they both quickly fell asleep, Kiba and Hinata had also fallen asleep not long after Ino and Shikamaru. So it was just Neji and Sakura left too talk on watch duty.

Neji looked in to Sakura's eyes.

"Why with you can't I tell what your thinking? It's been bugging me for a while... Whenever I look in to someone's eyes I can read them, see what there thinking...But with you...I can't" Sakura looked back in to Neji's eyes confused.

"I don't understand what you mean..." Sakura stared blankly at Neji's clear eyes.

"Tell me Sakura, what are you thinking?..." Sakura looked up at the sky it was the same as the night Sasuke left.

"Revenge..."

"you know your life shouldn't revolve around revenge...It ruined my life...And my life being ruined made Hinata's a living hell... I'll never forgive myself... You need to learn how to appreciate life, look at the little things and make them mean bigger things. You could be a great ninja Sakura, you know you could. You just need to move on from Naruto. From Sasuke. From everything which is making you miserable."

He looked at her and smiled again, that same smile which he had smiled earlier that very same day. And at that very moment she felt happy, when ever he smiled, she felt warm, she had found her someone who she could talk to, someone who she could relate too, but she never thought it would be Neji.

She fell asleep at some point and slept right through the night. She woke up the next morning. The sun hadn't fully risen yet. It was probably only about 5am. Shikamaru was sitting up watching the stars fade and the clouds appear.

"Morning Shikamaru, watch duty?" Sakura walked over to him. She picked up her water, It was full again. It was probably Neji again, She smiled happily and took a swig then she handed it to Shikamaru. He took it and drank it gratefully.

"yup. I've been up since about 4am, Hinata woke me up too take over from her. She said she had something that she needed too do, She should be back soon I think." now that Sakura took a look around camp she realized that Hinata was in fact gone.

"Wonder what she had too do..." Sakura looked around cautiously. Shikamaru laughed and continued speaking

"She's probably just gone to get some food. I wouldn't worry she did yesterday morning. But she ended up barley eating anything anyway 'cause she insisted that Kiba ate most of it. I'm gonna bet that those two get together soon. They so close that it's scary!" Sakura looked back at Shikamaru and gave him a sceptical look.

"Ha! Look who's talking Mr-Here-Ino-Take-My-Jacket" Sakura stuck her tongue out and laughed. Shikamaru joined in the laughter, "So no denial then?" Sakura winked at Shikamaru.

"i didn't say ether way did I?" Shikamaru winked back, and so the morning began.

Hinata came back about half a hour later carrying her backpack which she had completely filled with nuts and berry's. She handed some to Sakura and Shikamaru and then ate some herself. She made sure that her bag was still very full of food for Neji Ino and particularly Kiba.

Sakura and Shikamaru thanked her. Then Shikamaru asked a question which stunned Sakura... partly because there was no conversation at all since Hinata had come back but mainly because it shocked Sakura!

"Are you in love with Neji?..." ...Love?... The only love she had ever felt before was to Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke was just a childish crush and she loved Naruto like a brother. This type of love was on a whole other level... She thought of the past two nights... The way he smiled... The way he let her sleep on his shoulder... The way which he had been there for her for the whole of this mission and agreed to go on the mission in the first place.. She knew he cared for her... She knew that she cared for him... The only answer she could give was something that she thought she would never say... She looked in to Shikamaru's eyes and gave her answer.

"Yes...I think I am..."


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. : The P.O.V in the story changes to Kiba for this chapter. It is starting from the day Sakura asked him to come with her on the mission.**

Chapter 4 – Kiba's Story

"Hey, Hinata need any help?" Kiba walked in to Hinata's garden where she was hanging out her clothes to dry. She had got back from her spying mission with Shino the day before and was cleaning her clothes. "Your dad told me you were out here" Kiba took a t-shirt from the basket and pegged it on to the line.

"Thanks Kiba" Hinata smiled and they continued to hang up the clean clothes.

"So how did your mission go? Did you find everything you needed for Tsunade-sama?"

"Yeah, I'm a little tired but me and Shino got all the information Tsunade-sama requested"

Kiba smirked and picked up another t-shirt

"I'm a little jealous. Shino got to spend 4 days with you alone." Hinata gave him a shocked look.

"Kiba!"

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Hmm... how to put it... It's just that we haven't been on a mission together for so long. We used to be team 8... But now days we never spend any time together." Hinata nodded in agreement and continued with the work which had to be done.

When they were done Hinata invited Kiba in to have some tea as a thank you for helping her with her chores.

"Hey, Hinata" Neji walked over to Hinata and Kiba. "Do you think you can come with me to buy some food for dinner tonight? I'm no good with choosing food and I know that you said you wanted to cook. I'll pay so Kiba can come too we could use an extra pair of hands." They both nodded and cleared away the tea set and followed Neji towards the town.

They had got all they needed from the fruit shop and the pastry shop, all they needed to do now was go to the butchers. They didn't get far before Sakura spotted them and ran over, she looked flushed and worried.

"Do you think you three could come on a mission with me? We leave at dawn tomorrow"

"What sort of mission is it" Now Neji looked just as worried as Sakura.

"A murder mission..."

"Sasuke..." Neji knew from experience that the only one who Sakura would go on a suicide mission for would be Sasuke.

Kiba Went back too his house after agreeing to go on the mission with her. He had been told that along with Hinata and Neji Shikamaru would also be coming. He hadn't been on a mission with Neji or Shikamaru since the last time they tried to stop Sasuke 4 years ago, but he knew that he could trust them both. They were allies of Konoha after all. He laughed to himself as he recalled the conversation that he and Hinata had shared earlier that same day. He had been complaining that they hadn't been on a mission together in so long. Even though they didn't do many missions together any more they were still close friends. And they always would be.

Kiba packed all of the things which he would need for this mission. He went to the tap and filled his water container, packed as much food as he would need and he packed his sleeping bag. He wouldn't need much else. He petted Akamaru who was now the same height as him.

"Good news Aka. Me and you are going on a mission with Hinata." Akamaru barked to show that he approved. And they both went to sleep.

Kiba was woken up early the next morning by Akamaru licking his face. He tried to push the human size dog away but failed. He couldn't help laughing.

"C'mon Akamaru, I know your excited but can you please get off!" The huge dog jumped off of Kiba's bed and ran out of the door. Kiba jumped out of bed and was closely following behind him.

Kiba ate all of the breakfast he could so that he wouldn't get hungry any time soon, grabbed his bag and left the house.

He was the third one there, Hinata and Neji had arrived already, they probably came together. He walked over too them and said hello.

Not long after his arrival, Shikamaru showed up too... Not too long after that someone else was coming towards them... It was too tall to be Sakura... Did she find some one else after she had found them? As the person got closer she was easier to see...She had long blonde hair and was wearing a crop top and mini skirt. Shikamaru was the first one to recognise her.

"Ino!" The lazy chunin walked over too her and they began talking, Kiba couldn't make out what they were saying so he turned back towards Hinata and Neji.

"D'ya think Sakura asked her to join the mission?" Kiba asked?

"I'm not sure, but knowing Ino she probably ASKED to join. She hates Sasuke as much as Sakura." Shikamaru and Ino walked over to the three spectators. And they began to discuss strategies.

"We have enough of us here too take Sasuke out. We just have to hope that he doesn't have any other Akatsuki members with him, that would mean trouble for all of us." Kiba knew that Shikamaru knew what he was talking about, so he just nodded and agreed with what he said.

About 5 minutes later Sakura arrived at the front gates. Ready to leave for there mission. So they left.

**A.N. Just a short chapter to give a little background on the story. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Back to the main story after last chapter :) enjoy.**

Chapter 5 – Confessions

"Are you in love with Neji?..."

"Yes...I think I am..." As much as she wanted to Sakura just couldn't lie to Shikamaru, she knew this feeling was beyond anything she had felt before, more than her crush on Sasuke, more than she felt when her and Naruto had been dating. "What should i do Shikamaru? I can't tell him, it would break my heart if he said no... And he would say no"

"You don't know that. He could like you back twice as much for all you know" Sakura let out a small sigh and started packing her stuff back together ready for another day of chasing Sasuke.

Neji woke up a little after Sakura and Shikamaru's conversation and they started walking with Hinata Kiba and Neji trying to track Sasuke. It was so quiet, and shikamaru could tell Ino was getting uncomfortable because of the quiet and that they didn't really have a specific direction to be heading in.

"So what's the plan for finding him?" Sakura looked towards Shikamaru, she wasn't entirely sure herself, then Neji jumped in with an answer.

"Well at the moment we're headed west. Suna is north-west, but Kiba picked up a light scent yesterday in this direction, so we're following that for now, but if we lose any trace of him this way then we're going to head towards Suna, that okay with everyone?" everyone nodded and continued following Neji.

While they we're walking Ino noticed Sakura looking towards Neji a lot, Sakura saw that Ino was looking at him so Ino smirked and gave a wink, she pointed towards Neji and mouthed "you like him don't you." Sakura blushed and looked towards the floor, there was no way she was going to tell Ino that she liked him, the blabber mouth would tell him straight away that Sakura liked him, she stayed silent.

They had been walking for a few hours when Hinata saw something incoming from behind them with her byakuyan. "Sakura! Look out!" it was too late Sakura, who had been walking at the back of the group, was now lying on the floor knocked out from a blow to the head, shikamaru was the first to react to this. He turned and shouted the name of his jutsu and caught the ninja in his shadow, he took control of the situation easily.

"Ino make sure Sakura's okay! Neji, Hinata, make sure theres no more of them anywhere!" Kiba took out the ninja in Shikamaru's shadow instantly.

"Shikamaru look out, theres more of them" Neji and Hinata faced opposite directions around Ino and Sakura to protect her.

"6 coming from this way!" Hinata shouted.

"Yeah 5 from this way too" Neji got in his stance ready to take them on. But before they had the chance to even start attacking a flurry of knives came from all directions and took out all of the on coming ninja's. And all that remained was Kakashi standing in the middle of them.

"Yo. Thought you might need a hand." They smiled appreciably at Kakashi. "Couldn't let my one last student get killed now could I, you haven't even found Sasuke yet." Shikamaru looked back to Neji, Hinata and Kiba.

"Are there any more coming? Can you see any?" the 3 tracking ninja looked and sniffed for any traces of enemies. A few seconds later Kiba's face went white. Hinata turned to him and shook his arm.

"Kiba, what's wrong, what's coming?"

"When i smelt blood yesterday and sensed the person who wanted to kill us, Its back." Kiba looked towards Kakashi who was now standing with his kunai's out, bloodlust in his eyes.

"My, my, my, if only you had paied attention at the academy I'm sure they would have told you how to track a fake ninja, oh well, say goodnight puppy dog." The Kunai in the fake Kakashi's hand headed straight towards Kiba, Hinata couldn't think what to do, she ran straight in to Kiba and pushed him out of the way of the kunai, it hit her in her stomach, which gave Neji a chance to hit the fake straight in his back where his heart was on the other side. The fake turned in to a poof of smoke and a dead masked man lay on the floor.

Kiba jumped up off the floor where he had landed and ran to Hinata. He picked her up with tears streaming down his face.

"Hinata? Hinata! Answer me!" Kiba couldn't stop the tears, He looked around for someone to heal her, Sakura was still knocked out on the floor and Ino was having to heal herself before she could start on anyone else. "Hinata stay with me, please, don't leave" Hinata let out a small mumble.

"I'll be fine..." she coughed "Rather my stomach than... your heart right?... wouldn't... wanna break that" Kiba was crying even more now.

"If you die, it would break my heart even more than having a kunai stabbed straight through it!" Kiba looked straight in to Hinata's half opened eyes. "Hinata, don't leave. Hinata, I... I Love you!" Kiba hugged Hinata close to his chest and kissed her forehead.

"Kiba bring her here now, i still have a chance to heal her!" Kiba didn't hear Ino properly everything was just a blur to him at the time. "KIBA! NOW! do you want her to die!" Kiba reacted instantly this time, he ran over to Ino with Hinata in his arms, he put her down on the ground and Ino started healing her, it would of coarse have been quicker with Sakura since Ino was still training.

Hinata gestured for Kiba to come closer to her, so Kiba put his ear close to her mouth to hear what she had to say, she whispered in to his ear very slowing, very gently.

"I love you too" Kiba kissed Hinata, but not on the forehead this time. He kissed her on the lips, it was something he never thought he would experience, this passion, this tenderness, this longing for her, he didn't want to break it, but Ino was struggling to heal her. Kiba pulled away from Hinata and sat watching as Ino slowly healed her back to full health.

A few hours later and Hinata was as good as Ino could get her, she was alive at least, and the wounds would heal soon enough. Sakura was regaining consciousness, and Ino was resting after healing everyone back to health. Shikamaru had his arm around the sleeping blonde, who, surprisingly enough, had his jacket again. Hinata was curled up with Akamaru and Kiba keeping her warm and helping her recover from her wounds, Ino said that Hinata needed a lot of sleep tonight so Kiba offered to take her lookout spot. Neji was stroking Sakura's hair as she slept in his lap, she fell down when she tried to get up after passing out, and that's where she landed, and fell asleep straight away. Needless to say Neji wasn't complaining.

Sakura woke up at about 2am, her head hurt and she needed to drink something. She moved slightly in her sleep and then jolted up from where she was. Neji giggled a little and looked at the blushing girl.

"You could have moved me..." Sakura looked at the ground.

"And why would i do that when you looked so peaceful and cute sleeping there" Sakura blushed even more but Neji just smiled, that smile again. Her cheeks were getting redder by the second she could feel it.

"I need a drink" the words came out as a jumbled up slurred sentence, anything to get away from neji after sleeping on him like that.

"No need, here's your water" Neji had once again filled up her water container.

"Thanks." she gave Neji a smile.

"That's what I've been waiting for, I haven't seen you smile in a while" He smiled back and Sakura went even more red. "The stars are pretty tonight" Sakura looked up to the sky with Neji, but when she looked down again she was memorized by the sparkles from the stars in Neji's eyes, they were so pretty that she just couldn't stop looking. Neji blinked and looked back at Sakura who couldn't take her eyes away from his. They spoke at the same time.

"I need to tell you- After you"

"I have something t- you first"

They both giggled and Sakura told Neji to go first.

"It's just... I've been thinking for a while about you... And me?... And i was wondering, once this mission is over, would you like to get dinner or something with me?" Sakura had never seen Neji this nervous before, it shocked her how stuttery he had become over these few words. She looked in to his beautiful eyes.

"I'd love to." Sakura moved towards him and kissed him gently on the lips. She looked deep in to his eyes and knew that she would never be apart from him again.

**A.N. So Hinata and Kiba have confesed that they love each other and now so have Neji and Sakura, what happens next? :D review and subscribe please :)**


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